Thursday, August 26, 2010

What did you do for summer vacation?


Traffic congestion is up, longer shopping lines, museums and parks are less crowded, and Indian Summer has crept in ... yep, it's back to school season and my thoughts turn fondly to lunch time conversations over PBJ ... "so, what did you do on your summer vacation?"

Besides the usual tales of camping, boating, dancing and general mischief-making, my palate traveled to exotic destinations and discovered some new found delights ...

A long time fan of the deep and sultry Zin, it was time to meet his parents, Plavac Mali from Croatia.  The grape is cultivated on the steep vineyards of Hvar, a beautiful Mediterranean island off the coast, and spends about two years in barrique.  The resemblance to my old friend Zin was evident in the bright ruby color and notes of cherries, plums, and dark berries, but the Croatian relative (proven as such through DNA testing no less!) definitely puts a stronger foot forward.  Bone dry, smoky, and slightly bitter, this wine is nicely balanced with a distinguished George Clooney-esque complexity.  A pity only 2000 cases of the Zlatan Plavac Barrique Hvar 2005 were produced so if you see this handsome gem on the menu of your favorite restaurant, place an order and enjoy the courtship with a new friend.

Thankfully production of the Aglianico grape is not as rare.  Moving southwest along the Adriatic sea, this juicy red is the wine of Southern Italy.  Like Sophia Loren, Aglianico can be a bit overwhelming all alone so bring on your pizzas, lasagnas, zitis, bolognese, and anything else with a tomato-based foundation for racy some food-vino amore.  One of the better producers is Mastroberardino and the Taurasi Riserva Radici 2004 is a harmonious herb garden with big tannins & strong alcohol, but oh the smooth finish.  It leaves me hungry for more ... sort of like going on a passeggiata with an Italian and being kissed before you have a chance to react ... hmmm, what was I saying?

And when it's just too damn hot for heavy dishes and grabby reds, I go further north in Campania for some un-oaked Falanghina.  The refreshing but savory mix of Granny Smith apples, spearmint and yellow roses went swimmingly with seafood, shellfish and roasted veggies.  Something a bit salty about this one that speaks of the sea, the beach, and summer romances.  Finally, an exotic I can find at my favorite wine shop that's reasonably priced and is my pick over Pinot Grigio any day of the week.  Which one to try?  The Cantina del Taburno Falanghina 2009 is a wonderful choice.

Funny how non-US products always include a cross-over marketing strategy and vino is no exception.  Offer a tasty alternative to your die hard Chardonnay lovers, bombastic butter-oak monsters excluded, and head northwest to the bodegas of Valdeorras, Spain.  Sipping on a bright glass of Godella rewards me with lemon, toast, and a crisp minerality.  Perfect with fish, chicken, and shellfish paella.  A bit like John Travolta, this comeback grape is again enjoying an increase in popularity and I find the Avanthia Godello Valdeorras Galicia 2008 to be a total crowd pleaser.  So is it like Chardonnay or what?  For me it's not as rich and it's closer to AlbariƱo, found further west along the coast in the maritime influenced Rias Baixas.  Unlike some light whites, SBs come to mind, Godello can handle a little aging and doesn't have to be popped quite so young.

Dang, there goes the lunch bell!  It's back to class and back to work.  Time to get back on track - soccer practice, band practice, add a little finesse to the spitball throw; deliverables, budgets, power points, and conference calls, yep, time to get back at it.  Oh and of course, regular blog posts.  I tell ya, as much as I try to go for routine, regulated schedules, and order, the chaos of life, love, and laughter dictate otherwise ... and I wouldn't have it any other way.  

Until next time,
Salud!

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